Literature review
Encyclopedia
A literature review is a body of text that aims to review the critical points of current knowledge including substantive findings as well as theoretical and methodological contributions to a particular topic. Literature reviews are secondary sources, and as such, do not report any new or original experimental work.
Simai Haji Mati was quoted saying that literature review should be referred to as reviewing and analyzing the work of literature in relation to the specified topic in research.
Most often associated with academic-oriented literature, such as a thesis
, a literature review usually precedes a research proposal and results section. Its ultimate goal is to bring the reader up to date with current literature on a topic and forms the basis for another goal, such as future research that may be needed in the area.
A well-structured literature review is characterized by a logical flow of ideas; current and relevant references with consistent, appropriate referencing style
; proper use of terminology
; and an unbiased and comprehensive view of the previous research on the topic.
Simai Haji Mati was quoted saying that literature review should be referred to as reviewing and analyzing the work of literature in relation to the specified topic in research.
Most often associated with academic-oriented literature, such as a thesis
Thesis
A dissertation or thesis is a document submitted in support of candidature for an academic degree or professional qualification presenting the author's research and findings...
, a literature review usually precedes a research proposal and results section. Its ultimate goal is to bring the reader up to date with current literature on a topic and forms the basis for another goal, such as future research that may be needed in the area.
A well-structured literature review is characterized by a logical flow of ideas; current and relevant references with consistent, appropriate referencing style
Citation
Broadly, a citation is a reference to a published or unpublished source . More precisely, a citation is an abbreviated alphanumeric expression Broadly, a citation is a reference to a published or unpublished source (not always the original source). More precisely, a citation is an abbreviated...
; proper use of terminology
Terminology
Terminology is the study of terms and their use. Terms are words and compound words that in specific contexts are given specific meanings, meanings that may deviate from the meaning the same words have in other contexts and in everyday language. The discipline Terminology studies among other...
; and an unbiased and comprehensive view of the previous research on the topic.
Further reading
- Walid B Shahid (2011) . Applying the research and lessons from your own reviews..
- Cooper, H. (1998). Synthesizing Research: A Guide for Literature Reviews.
- Dellinger, A. (2005). Validity and the Review of Literature. Research in the Schools, 12(2), 41-54.
- Dellinger, A. B. & Leech, N. L. (2007). Toward a Unified Validation Framework in Mixed Methods Research. Journal of Mixed Methods Research, Vol. 1, No. 4, 309-332.
- Galvan, J.L. (1999). Writing Literature Reviews.
- Green, B.N., Johnson, C.D.,and Adams, A. (2006) Writing Narrative Literature Reviews for Peer-Reviewed Journals: Secrets of the Trade. Journal of Chiropractic Medicine, 5(3), pp. 101–114.
External links
- The Literature Review: A Few Tips On Conducting It (University of Toronto)
- Literature Reviews (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)
- How to Write a Literature Review (UCSC)
- The literature review (Deakin)
- Software tools for a literature review: A tutorial that explains how mind maps, pdf readers and reference managers can be used to a literature review (see first part of the tutorial)
- review of literature (UW-Madison)
- The Literature Review (Central Queensland)
- How to do a Literature Review (North Carolina A&T State library)